The Artisan Market by Emma MacDonald

Want to go really outside the box with your homemade gifts this year? Let's talk about giving the gift of home-cured bacon! Or jar of preserved lemons! Or some duck confit! Or...maybe you should just give them a copy of The Artisan Market and let your pals do their own tinkering in the kitchen. Either way, this cookbook has you covered and then some.

• Other highlights: This book is about way more than just stocking your pantry. Way more. Each chapter includes several recipes for preserved foods, to be sure, but the pages in between are stuffed to the brim with all sorts of incredible, tantalizing, must-make-now recipes that actually put those preserved foods to use. Like making duck rillettes and then using them to make Chinese pancakes. Or making your own ricotta and then whisking it into a savory brunch-worthy cheesecake.

I love this approach for a few reasons. For one, it ensures that your DIY projects and jars of canned goods will be put to immediate use rather than collecting dust in the back of the cupboard. It also means that we'll use this book more often than just when we have a spare afternoon for a big project. I like the idea that I could make my own rillettes, or I could also buy some from that lady at the farmer's market whose stand I so rarely get to visit. Either way, I end up with something delicious at the end of the day!

• Who would enjoy this book? If you're curious about things like making your own bacon and sourdough bread, I think this book is a great place to start. It's inspiring in all the right ways but not completely overwhelming with projects. If you already have a host of DIY books on your shelf, I think it's still worth checking this one out for all those "extra" recipes on using the preserves.

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: The Artisan Market by Emma MacDonald

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.